Fewer than four in 10 Hong Kong and Macau students who graduated from mainland universities eventually work on the mainland, despite 80 per cent of current students saying they would be willing to work there, a survey has found.

The main reasons for this were difficulties with documentation and tough competition, according to the study, which was carried out from 2015 to 2017 by the Beijing Institute of Hong Kong and Macau Scholars.

Researchers of the study interviewed 240 current students and 70 Hong Kong and Macau graduates from 15 mainland universities, and found more than 80 per cent of current students were willing to stay if they could get a job. But they found only 37 per cent of graduates stayed, while 60 per cent returned to their home city.

Many of the students said applying for jobs was difficult because they had to use their home return permits as identification, and these aren’t widely recognised on the mainland, according to Terence Lin Chiu-fai, who led the study.

Students also found the process of applying for working permits complicated and a burden for recruiters, according to the report.

Hok Yau Club Student Guidance Centre director Ng Po-shing told Young Post yesterday that cultural and language barriers, as well as “intense competition”, were obstacles for Hong Kong students on the mainland. “Compared to mainlanders, Hong Kong students don’t have many advantages in terms of language and culture,” he said.

He added that many Hong Kong students can secure better salaries, benefits and opportunities at home.